how low can you go... your favorite, cheapest, high value folder?

Easy. For me it is by far the CS Voyager 2011 version in clip point medium. A lot of slicing power for very little money.. it is a real workhorse of a knife!
 
Buck 110. Over thirty years of use (work, camping) and still going strong. Cost around $25. Made in the USA.

But I won't use any knife I own in any manner that I think might break it. I'm poor and can't afford to break my knives, not even the inexpensive ones. If I have a task to perform that I think might break the knife I have with me I get a better tool for the job.

I've used my Buck 110 to cut rope, rubber hose, leather, wood, plastic, and skin small game. The only way it will get broken is if I should accidentally drop it and the blade hits a rock or cement.
 
killgar said:
Buck 110. Over thirty years of use (work, camping) and still going strong. Cost around $25. Made in the USA.

But I won't use any knife I own in any manner that I think might break it. I'm poor and can't afford to break my knives, not even the inexpensive ones. If I have a task to perform that I think might break the knife I have with me I get a better tool for the job.

I've used my Buck 110 to cut rope, rubber hose, leather, wood, plastic, and skin small game. The only way it will get broken is if I should accidentally drop it and the blade hits a rock or cement.
Click to expand...

Gotta go with the 110. First knife I ever owned and it's still one of my favorites.
 
Cheap - high value? Used. Buying any knife new is a loss. (If you don't believe me sell the one you just bought for the same or better price. That's how you set value.)

Still, sometimes it's worth it just to own a nice new knife.

But what's "high" value? Worth 10X what you paid? You'll have to wait a long time to prove that unless you look at used knives.

I think the question you're looking for is, "What knives are a good deal at their price point?" Still, the answer has to "used".

Here's a nice Case. Paid $15. It's easy worth 5X that.

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Here's a French Sabatier chefs knife. Paid $18. Somebody just sold one on ebay for $225. I think that I got good value.

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Here's $30 worth of used knives. Put a little time into cleaning them and they'll sell for a lot more than that. Or put an edge on them and you'll never have to worry about having a knife in the car, the toolbox, the garage, the junk drawer, etc. And they're all American made. Nobody worries about loosing a $5 knife...

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Keep buying all those new knives. I'll look for real value elsewhere.
 
I've been very impressed by the kershaw chill for a lightweight knife and the ganzo 704 as something beefier. Chill needed a little deburring ad rounding of the liners and the ganzo needs bronze washers and skeletonized liners, but those are small issues. (I found it's much was easier to grind out the middle of the ganzo liners with an angle grinder than it is to try and drill holes in them.)
 
Byrd Meadowlark FRN
Kershaw Chill, Scallion
Spyderco Tenacious

I love my Meadowlark the most though. I still use it often for the more mundane tasks, and my wife uses it also. I've used it as abeater so long that blade-play is coming on hard, but even though I got Delicas I might buy a new Meadowlark for 20 bones, I like the quality and the choil.

I EDC the Scallion once in a blue moon.

Kershaw Chill is retired. Sits in my car as a backup.

Tenacious is retired with full honors and is relegated to sharpening practice. Got a greenG10 NiB just for kicks.
 
byrd Cara Cara/stainless steel. Came very sharp with no bladeplay and good F/F. 25 smackers.
 
Cold Steel Kudu. $5.99 shipped.

No matter what I throw at it, it keeps coming back for more.
 
I'll jump on the bandwagon, and say that Buck and Victorinox are what I choose for economical, but quality knives.
 
Rat-1 is my current high value to $ knife.

Have to say that it is everything you want in an EDC folder. Big enough, big belly, takes a good edge, disappears in the pocket, thin.

Only problem is that it is HEAVY in comparison to other folding knives of equal size......but meh. For $25, I'm not going to complain.
 
Tenacious, S30V blur, Ka-bar phat bob, cold steel (their budget lineup, such as the hawks, voyagers, several of the cheap fixed blades and machetes, etc). Also a big fan of the BM Monochrome. I think HTM is generally better quality than most of the other things you can get in a similar price range (unless they're having a serious QC issue, of course), although that's much more expensive.
 
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